Waiting on a Friend
by ILoveBeatleGeorge
Summary: The Marauders were the most popular, and mischievous, group of boys that Hogwarts had ever seen. They seemed to have always been friends with everyone. This is not true, there was a large amount of time where the four Marauders had no friends at all.


_**AN: Third installment of the Diversity challenge. It had to be a Marauder era story between 600-1,200 words and about friendship. I hope you enjoy it!**_

**Waiting on a Friend**

"Just to think that, at this time seven years ago, none of us really had friends," a boy with sandy brown hair sighed.

"I'd bet you that no one would believe us if we told them that," a different boy, with long, black hair, said smirking.

"They would; if it were only me," a small boy, with mousy hair, frowned.

"Pete, don't say that; you're just as important as the rest of us," the last boy, who had messy black hair and glasses, assured the small one.

These four boys made up the most popular group that Hogwarts had seen in a very long time; the Marauders. Everyone at the school envied the friendship that the four boys had together, even those who didn't show it. What the other students didn't realize, though, is that the four Marauders had been pariahs before coming to Hogwarts; all four of the boys had some obstacle that forced him to be friendless, an obstacle that was impossible to overcome until the boys were set free of their childhood homes.

_Moony_

"You stupid monster, I've told you before to leave this time listen! Go home, and never come back here again!" the bully screamed at the young boy's retreating form.

The boy had no plans to return to the park where he had encountered nothing but trouble since he was infected at the age of four. He had tried going to the park many times since then, but with no success; he was now nine and still being chased away by the same prejudice bullies. He ran into his house with tears in his eyes, and plopped into the couch.

"Mummy," he cried as he saw his mother approach him from her room.

The woman rushed to her son and embraced him, already sure that she knew the cause of his troubles but asked, anyway, "What's the problem, sweetie?"

"They wouldn't let me play, again!" he bawled into her shoulder.

"It'll be alright," she reassured her son, "you're a wonderful, special young man and it's just too bad that they'll miss out on your friendship. They're just too thick to see your outstanding qualities; don't worry son."

"I'm not wonderful, though! All of them are right; I'm nothing but a monster!"

Remus Lupin had never had friends. His lycanthropy had stopped all the other children from seeing the sweet, intelligent young man he was and made them see only a monster. Despite this he tried to remain cheerful, and bright, and always harbored a hope; a hope to be as lucky as the other boys at the playground, a hope for friends.

_Wormtail_

"Daddy, the other kids told me that I'm as dumb as a troll again" the blonde boy said as he stared at his feet.

"At least they didn't call you fat again," the obviously drunk man grumbled.

"But they did!" the boy shouted, "Right after they compared my brain to a troll someone else commented about how I'm as fat, and ugly, as one too".

"Sorry, son, maybe you're just not meant to have friends."

Peter Pettigrew had never had friends. All the other children would make fun of his bulky figure, shy nature, and slower learning rate. The teasing made him long, for friends of course but something much more as well; Peter Pettigrew longed for power that he could use to rule over people like the bullies. He longed for something more.

_Padfoot_

"Mum, I was just being nice. That girl obviously had potential to become a great witch!" he whined.

"Mudbloods are never great, Sirius, and if I hear you talking about one like it is again then you'll be locked in your room for a week. Never set a toe in that filthy place again, never!" the woman screeched.

Sirius Black had friends; if you counted crazy family members as friends. His pureblood fanatic of a mother had never allowed him to make any other types of friends; so he was stuck with his cousins. Every time he tried to make other friends he would be screamed at and punished immediately. He wished, every night and day, that he could escape his family and find real friends, not crazy cousins, but he knew it would never happen especially after he joined the rest of his family in Slytherin.

_Prongs_

"Mum! Please!" he begged eager to finally be allowed to attend a birthday party that wasn't his own.

"No, James, dark times are upon us now. You will be staying home; no ifs, ands, or buts. Now, come it's time for tea".

"You're the reason why I have no friends," he yelled as he ran up the stairs of the manor to his very large room.

James Potter had friends… kind of. He had school friends who would play with him and occasionally invite him to go places with them but his mother never let him go anywhere with anyone except for her, and his father. She was far too afraid that her only child would somehow be harmed if he went anywhere without her. Since his mother was so restrictive James was not close with his school friends at all and had to resort to praying; praying that one day he would have friends like the boys at school did; praying for real friends.

_The Marauders_

Arguably the meeting between the four boys may not have gone so well if they weren't all outcasts of some kind before entering Hogwarts; after all their personalities were as different as could be. The meeting went splendidly though because all four boys, eager for any friends, were able to look past the fact that one was brainy while one was brawny and that one wanted to be the center of attention while the other would rather sit on the sidelines and watch. Often when you want something very badly you can look by everything that would stop someone who didn't want that thing as bad as you did; that is what happened with the four pariahs that became known as the Marauders met.

_**The Marauder Code of Conduct by Mr. Moony (scripted 15 November 1975)**_

_**First, it must be stated that the Marauders will always be true friends as they were founded by a group if four boys who had never had any. For this reason they will live by the code: **_

_**A Marauder once is a Marauder forever. Though we tease we shall not tease each other. We will always be there to help our fellow Marauder no matter how ridiculous his idea may be. No grudges shall be held against another Marauder unless, said Marauder kills someone, becomes a Death Eater, or anything else along those lines. This code has been written and it shall be sealed after the biggest article of all: We were all pariahs of some sort, before meeting each other, and for this reason the Marauders will never assume that anyone deserves to be an outcast, unless they see the reason with their own eyes and will never harm said outcast unless a legitimate reason arises.**_

_**Sealed by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs on 7 December 1975**_

1.194 words


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